Early
by skatergirl6
Summary: This begins with the Marauders, who are young and have no idea of what is ahead.
1. Chapter 1

Before you read, please know this. I am new to this. I don't read much fanfiction, but I love to write and I love Harry Potter. I don't want anyone to be offended by anything I write, although it is bound to happen. Please be kind. I would love criticism, but be kind about it. Also, if anyone would like credit for an idea or canon, just let me know. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy!

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It is early. James Potter is awake though, because it is never too early for him. He is five. He pulls on a sweatshirt and tiptoes past his parents' bedroom door, where they are happily sleeping. James begins to creep down the stairs, but he is overwhelmingly tempted to slide down the banister, so of course he does. He lands at the bottom of the stairs softly, crosses the living room, and slides the back door open. He stays below the back light's motion sensor, and goes to the shed. He reaches under the mat and his fingers quickly touch the metal of the key. He jams it into the shed's lock, and swings the door open. James pulls the light's cord, lighting up the dark interior. Brooms line the wall, sleek and polished. James' father never rode them, just collected. James picked out the smallest one, which was more worn than the others, not that his father noticed. He carried it outside. He walked to the open spot in the field. He swung a leg over, and kicked off.

It is late. Sirius Black is awake though, because his parents are too drunk to realize he is still awake. He is five. He straightens his suit jacket, and walks with his head high up to his cousin Andromeda. "Would you like to dance?" He inquires, looking confident. She laughs shaking her head. She sets her glass of champagne down on her table next to her mother, who looks disapprovingly at Sirius. Andromeda is only 10, so she is still young too. She takes his arm and allows him to pull her up. He spins her when they arrive at the dance floor, him reaching over her head to swing his arm around. He settles his hands on her waist, and they begin to slowly waltz across the floor, the other Blacks seeing them and laughing. After the song finishes, Sirius guids her back to her chair. Andromeda leans down and kisses him on the cheek, saying, "Thank you, Sirius," before she sits down. Sirius makes his way to his cousin Bellatrix, but not before taking a sip of his father's champagne while his back is turned.

It is early. Peter Pettigrew is awake though, because his whole house is already awake. He is five. His mother and father are baking, and his sisters are running around the house singing a song. Peter does not know the words so he does not join in. Peter is hungry, even though he just ate breakfast. He walks toward his mother, nervous because sometimes she is mean and sometimes she is noce. He reaches onto the counter and wraps his fingers around a pastry, and his mother spins around. Her face is red, as she wrestles the pastry out of Peter's fingers and sets it on the counter, but not before rewarding him with a swift slap on the knuckles. Peter winces and runs out of the kitchen before his father teases him for crying.

It is late. Remus is awake, although he does not really know why. He is five. He is sitting on the rug, playing with his blue car. His bedroom door is closed, and he can hear his mother and father arguing on the other side of it. His mother keeps trying to open the door, and his father keeps stopping her. Remus does not know why, but it doesn't bother him. He feels a sudden, sharp pain in the back of his head. He reaches up and touches his head, and the pain grows stronger. "Mom?' He calls out, and he hears his mother tug on the door, crying out, "Remus baby, I'm right here!" Remus wants her to come in his bedroom. He starts to cry, because his head is hurting him. He hears her slump to the ground, pounding on the door, and he hears his father's voice say wearily, "We love you Remus."


	2. Chapter 2

Remus sniffled a little. He was cold, because someone had left the window open. The curtains were blowing, billowing in the darkness. They looked a little bit like ghosts, Remus noticed. He wanted to go ask Dad to close it, but he had to be brave if he wanted to have a new bed. He suddenly heard a rustle outside the window. Remus rolled over and pressed his head under the pillow, trying to block out the scary noises. When the room went silent again, he pulled his head out. From behind the bed, he heard the floorboards creaking. _Maybe Mum came to close the window,_ he thought. "Mum?" Remus called out. "Dad?" There was no reply, but the floorboards stopped squeaking. He lay perfectly still, keeping his breath in his mouth. He felt something hot close to his face. It was too dark to see anything, because Remus had insisted on not using his nightlight, "I'm a big boy, Dad!" He could tell there was something close to him, but he couldn't tell what it was. He heard a low snarl, somewhat like the snarl he liked to make when he and Billy, his across the street friend, played wolves. He began to cry but still stayed quiet. And then everything is red and loud. And it hurts, it hurts so bad. Remus is screaming, and he feels pain in his neck, and his chest, and his head. He wants Dad. He wants Mum. There is a flash of green, and the big things yelps and it is gone. And now Dad is there. He runs to Remus and picks him up. Mum is there too, and Remus is crying.


	3. Chapter 3

Remus found his father's hand and held it fiercely. There were far too many people on the platform, some younger, some older. The older kids were yelling and clearly belonged there. The younger kids also seemed to all know each other, embracing and talking. He could tell his parents sensed his nervousness, because his mother leaned down and said, "Remus, you will make friends. Don't be scared." His father had told him otherwise. He had come into Remus' bedroom last night, sitting on his bed and saying, "It's okay if you don't make friends right away. In fact, it's probably better to stay on your own because of your condition." Remus stood silently, observing, which was what he did best. His father led him to a compartment, secluded and empty. He lifted his trunk onto the overhead bins. Remus wanted to cry, but he knew that would be the worst thing to do. His father handed him a chocolate bar. "We love you, Remus." He kissed Remus' head, and so did Remus' mother. They walked out of the train to the platform, arms around each other. They waved as the train pulled out of the station.

As soon as the train's passengers had settled down, Remus pulled out his book. He flipped through the pages, but couldn't focus enough to read. He hated to admit it, but he wanted someone to come in. He poked his head out the door. Kids were milling about, none in their robes. Remus hadn't known, so he was already wearing them. He felt dumb. He sat back in his seat, sad. He didn't know how to make friends, because all of his had been pushed away after he was bitten. Suddenly, a face appears at his door. Remus jumps, snapping his book shut. The boy on the other side taps on the door, but when Remus made no move to open it, he let himself in. The boy had short, neatly cut dark hair. He looked annoyed, as he glanced around the compartment. "Is anyone sitting here?" He asked, his tone formal. Remus shook his head quickly. The boy attempted to lift his trunk onto the overhead, but when he couldn't lift it, he pushed it against the seat. He sat across from Remus looking fidgety. He said, "I'm Sirius Black." Remus bit his lip, wanting to cry. This by seemed pretentious and stuck up. "I'm Remus." Sirius stared at him for a moment, and then something seemed to dawn on him. He dug around in his pockets hand pulled out two crumpled Chocolate Frog packages. "Here. I wanted to bring something for the person who has to put up with me." Remus smiled as he took the chocolate. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.


	4. Chapter 4

When the old, dingy hat called out, "Black, Sirius," Sirius was not nervous. He knew he would be sorted into Slytherin like the rest of his family, even though he felt a little strange about it. He walked confidently up to the stool, keeping his head up. He didn't want to make a fool of himself, so he sat down as poised as possible. Mcgonagall set the hat gently on his head, with a thin-lipped smile. Sirius' head was filled with the loud menacing voice, that wasn't exactly talking to him but more inside of him. _Ah, interesting. A_ pureblood. _As a matter of fact, it's a Black! Obviously a Slyther-hm...something odd about this one...a fierceness, a boldness, that must be… "GRYFFINDOR!"_ The room fell silent. Sirius' stomach dropped. He felt like he couldn't breathe. He felt himself stand up, leaving the had on the stool, and drift towards the Gryffindor table, a sea of red and gold. They stared at him coldly, barely making room for him to sit. Sirius already had Slytherin robes. He had cheered for the Slytherin quidditch teams when he was younger. He was born a Slytherin. What would his parents say?


	5. Chapter 5

When the Sorting Hat called out, "Lupin, Remus," Remus was nervous. Not because he cared what house he was sorted into, but because he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of everyone. What if they could tell he was a werewolf? He slipped through the crowd, careful not to brush up against anyone. He sat on the stool, the sea of faces staring back at him. He shuddered. Could they tell? Mcgonagall set the hat on his head. The hat spoke to him loudly. _Hmmm, I knew it. I knew we had a werewolf._ Remus froze, his eyes wide. The bored faces stared back, and he realized they couldn't hear the hat. He breathed a sigh of relief, but was then filled with confusion. _How did you know?_ Remus thought, realizing the hat was speaking inside his head. _I can tell. I am the Sorting Hat remember? I know everything about you. I know that you were bitten when you were five years old. I know your parents suffered with you, while your body ached and transformed. I know you were sealed away, losing all the friends you ever had.I know you fear standing out, and you want to fit in. I know you hate yourself, and how you wish to be something different. I know how you are in constant pain, and you put up with it, day by day, afraid of making anyone worry. I know once a month, something horrible happens to you, and something happened on one of these nights last year, and you feel guilty every day, and will never recover. I know you put up with all of this every day, and to do this you must be braver than I imagine. You must be… a GRYFFINDOR!_ Remus felt his whole body drain of anxiety, as he stumbled to the Gryffindor table. He didn't care what house he was in. _He belonged somewhere._


	6. Chapter 6

After the feast, the Gryffindor first-years were led up to the common room together. After a quick tour around the common room, they were instructed to get into groups of four for their bedrooms. Remus and Sirius automatically stood together, since they had stayed together throughout dinner. Sirius glanced around, taking initiative to find two more people. He saw James, the boy who had sat with them at dinner. He waved to James, who grinned and made his way over to them. Sirius glanced around. "Who else should we ask?" James rolled his eyes. "Oh, that part is easy." He turned around and tapped a random boy on his shoulder. They boy turned around, his pudgy face looking worried. "Do you wanna share a room with us?" asked James, like it was the easiest thing ever. The boy looked relieved, "Oh, thank God. I was worried I would have to ask someone." James laughed and said, "I'm James." The boy smiled. "I'm Peter."

James pulled on his sweatpants and t-shirt, confident about taking his shirt off. He wasn't self conscious at all, because he was used to the quidditch locker room with his town team and had plenty of muscles. He messed with his hair, teased Sirius, and climbed into bed, waiting for the other boys to finish changing so he could ask them about their lives. He was good at making friends, and was ready to make more.

Sirius faced the wall while he changes, nervous because he was shaped like a twig. He pulled on silk pajamas, embroidered with _SB_. James laughed out loud when Sirius turned around. James was raking a hand through his hair, and shouted louder than necessary, "Hot jammies, Sirius." Sirius blushed, and felt uncomfortable. _Why hadn't he brought any pajamas that were normal?_ He asked himself while staring at his night suitcase, which was filled with silky pajama sets. He picked up his toiletry bag, and walked into the bathroom to wash his face. James shook his head, laughing. Sirius pulled the door shut and sat on the toilet, holding his head in his hands. _Why couldn't he be a Slytherin?_

Remus climbed into bed in his clothes. James insisted on talking to Remus and Peter for an hour, and Sirius finally left the bathroom after washing his face, his head down, Sirius climbed into bed and fell asleep immediately. James was annoyed that Sirius didn't want to talk, obviously not sensing that anything was wrong. He shut the lights off, and the boys fell asleep. Remus was still up, though. He climbed out of bed, and used the moon's light to change into his pajamas. His chest was a weaved map of scars. He traced the bgg one, which was from that night. He pulled on his shirt and pants, and climbed back into bed.

Peter wasn't concerned about his body. When he once told his mother he was worried about being fat, she snapped at him that at least he had food on the table every night. He realized he was chubby because he always had lots of food, so he stopped worrying. He put on his flannel pajamas and got into bed, glad that the boys had invited him to share a room with them. He was happy to belong with them. He laughed at James' comments to Sirius, and then listened to James and Sirius talk about their childhoods, which both consisted of lots of quidditch and friends. Sirius came in and fell asleep, and James did too. Peter couldn't, though. He lay in bed, staring at the canopy, and suddenly, Remus climbed out of bed. Remus changed into his pajamas slowly, and climbed back in bed, and began to softly cry. Peter was worried, but didn't know what to do, so he put his head under his pillow and drifted off.


	7. Chapter 7

Remus dropped his backpack on the floor and leaned against the counter, sorting through the mail. A few bills, a card for Mum, and… What was this? An envelope of thick parchment, with a green seal. It was for Mr. Remus Lupin. Remus' heart jumped. A letter from Hogwarts? For him? Hogwarts didn't accept werewolves. This must have been a prank. Nothing good ever happened to him.

After dinner on his third night at Hogwarts, and after telling James he would meet them at the common room, Remus ran after Dumbledore, who was retreating down the hall to his office. Remus ran beside him. "Excuse me, sir? May I have a word?" Dumbledore turned to Remus, his eyes kind. Before Remus had a chance to speak, Dumbledore began to speak, his voice waking up from a long sleep. "Mr. Lupin, please. Do not worry about your eligibility to be here. You belong here as much as any other student. Without another word, he swept his cloak and continued down the hall. Remus stared at his back, dumbfounded.

Remus was exhausted. It was two in the morning, but he still had hours of homework ahead of him. He had a paper due for potions, but he had to finish it. He knew he had to prove himself, he had to show that he wanted to be known as the intelligent student, not the slacker werewolf. He had to prove himself. He pushed his hair out of his face and continued working.


	8. Chapter 8

I'm so sorry for not updating. A horrible tragedy has devastated my town, and I (along with the rest of my community) have been displaced. I probably will not be able to update for a week or two, but I will do my best. Please be patient while I try to figure things out. Thank you.

James climbed through the portrait hole, and immediately spotted Remus. "Rem!" shouted James, running over to meet him. He collapsed in the couch next to remus. Remus grunted his hello, and bent his head over his homework. James leaned back and relaxed on the couch. Remus glanced at him. "Did you finish the potions homework?" James laughed loudly. "Me? Finish the homework? I'll do it tomorrow before class." Remus rolled his eyes. He continued working. A girl walked up to them. James recognized her as Lily Evans, who was friends with greasy Severus. He hated her. "Hey, Remus. Have you gotten the last problem on the potions homework?" Remus looked relieved, "Thank God, I haven't been able to do it, and this arse hasn't been any help." He gestured at James, while he dug through his pile of papers. While he looked, James grinned at Lily, whose flaming hair was pinned behind her head. "Hey. I'm James." "I know," she said. James rolled his eyes. "So, you are friends with Snivellus, huh?" She stared at him, her eyes icy. " _Severus_ is my best friend." Remus looked up from his searching. "James. Just stop. You are making a fool of yourself. Lily clearly doesn't want to talk to you." James sighed, and stood up. He slung his bag over his shoulder. "It was very nice to meet you Lily." She closed her eyes. "It was _not_ nice to meet you, James." He smiled on his way up to his dormitory. He loved her.


	9. Chapter 9

I'm back for good! Sorry about the delay.

Lyall Lupin scanned the crowd for his son. Children were hugging their parents, and reunions were occurring all around him. He began to worry. What if Remus was dead? Or worse, what if the students had figured out his secret and made fun of him? But no, he had just gotten a letter from the boy two days ago. Just as he began to really worry, he saw his son fly through the crowd. "Remus!" Lyall shouted. Remus threw himself into his father's arms. "Dad! I had so much fun! This has been the best year of my life! I love being a wizard! I love Hogwarts!" Lyall stared at his son, shocked. He figured he would hate Hogwarts. "Dad! Guess what? I made friends!" Lyall was taken aback. Remus had friends? But he was digging through his pockets, which were unusually full, and, come to think of it, his hair wasn't as neat as usual. Remus pulled out a crumpled photograph. It showed four boys. Lyall immediately spotted Remus in the middle, doing his usual, sly grin, holding a book to his chest. The Remus in the photo glanced up and down, quietly laughing. Remus pointed to the boy next to him in the photo and said, "That's James Potter," The James in the photo was making funny faces, waving his arms wildly. His uniform was rumpled, his glasses were askew, and his hair stood on end. "That's Peter Pettigrew," The small, round boy next to James was laughing with his eyes squeezed shut, his close cropped hair shaking lightly. "And that's Sirius Black. They're my very best friends." The boy in the photo had a hand on his stomach as he threw his head back, laughing fully. Lyall stared back at his son, because he knew about the Blacks. "Did you say Sirius Black?"


	10. Chapter 10

Euphemia Potter awoke with a start. There was a thump downstairs, and then all was silent. She shook her husband, Fleamont Potter, awake. "What is it?" he asked. SHe held a finger to her lips, and motioned for him to follow her. They rose from the bed and crept out of their room and down the hall. The stopped at the top of the stairs. " _Lumos_ ," whispered Euphemia, her wand illuminating the stairs. She and Fleamont tiptoed down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs stood a boy that drew a striking resemblance to ames. His dark hair was rumpled, and he was knobbly and slender. He was shirtless, to reveal a sunken chest and prominent ribs. His pants were ripped, and he was covered in ash and bruises. "I'm so sorry," he said, "I Floo'd here. James said that if, if she hit me again, and it got really bad, that I could… I could come stay here, I just…" While Fleamont looked skeptical, Euphemia could tell that this boy was in danger from his trembling voice and skittish demeanor. She pointed upstairs. "Fleamont, go get him some pajamas and a blanket." She helped Sirius onto the couch, promising that he could stay the night and they would discuss the situation in the morning.

When Euphemia went back to check on Sirius an hour later, having decided he could stay as long as he needed, even if that meant the rest of the summer, she was shocked at what she found. Tangled up with Sirius was James, his head at Sirius' feet. And from her point on the stairs, the boys looked identical. And even if she didn't know it, in that moment, Euphemia had acquired another son.


	11. Chapter 11

Sirius tossed the Snitch back to James. James reached up nonchalantly to snatch it, but SIrius had thrown it completely wrong, so it spun in the air and smashed into the lamp on James' bedside table. Sirius gasped and covered his mouth. "Oh, dammit." James frowned and stared at Sirius. James had never scene Sirius look like that, his face crumpled up and truly hurting. James mother rushed into the bedroom. "What was that?" James' mother asked. "Sirius broke the lamp," said James. Euphemia glanced round. James looked at Sirius, who now was sporting a face that James recognized. He had completely locked down. Euphemia looked at James, and then at Sirius. "Was it an accident?" Sirius hesitated, but nodded. Euphemia shrugged. "Well then, what can you do?" And James watched the wall in front of Sirius' face wall break. Euphemia waved at the mess. "I'll clean this up. Why don't you boys go play outside?" James nodded and ran off, calling, "Thanks Mom!" Sirius looked from the broken lamp to Euphemia. "What's wrong Sirius?" Euphemia asked. But of course she knew. She crossed the room in two steps and pulled him into a hug.


	12. Chapter 12

As Remus Lupin rode the train, he pulled out the photograph he always kept in his coat pocket. In a few hours, he would be at Hogwarts. It had been years since he had been there. There was nobody in his compartment, but some students would likely join him in minutes. He looked at the photo. It depicted four boys in a compartment. They had only known each other for a year, so it was shocking at how close they were. Their friendship had blossomed, and they were excited to be together on the way to the second year. Remus looked at himself in the photo. His hair was short and he was buried in a sweater like he always was, but his book at been cast aside. Across his lap were Sirius' feet. Sirius hair was still short, since his mother made him cut it over the summer. It would grow out over the school year, like it had the last year and would every year. Across the table from them was Peter, who was giggling at something Sirius was saying. James sat next to him. James had kicked his shoes off and was resting his bare feet on the table. James was tanned from summer Quidditch and his glasses hung askew. His hair stood on end. Remus gazed at the picture of his best friends. James smiling face waved back at him.

You can imagine his surprise when that same face entered the compartment minutes later.


	13. Chapter 13

Sirius glanced at Remus without being obvious about it. The previous night Remus hadn't been in his bed again. He had snuck out after James' snoring took over the room. As they watched James' quidditch match, Remus was bent over his Potions homework. Sirius rolled his eyes. Why couldn't Remus just enjoy the Quidditch match? It was Friday, after all. Suddenly, Remus' pencil stopped scratching. Sirius looked at him again. His hair hung over his face, and his hand lay limp on his paper, in the middle of a word. Peter didn't notice, as he was standing up, cheering James on, holding up a huge banner with a lion on it. Sirius ignored Remus for the rest of the match. He could do his homework if he really wanted to, even if it annoyed Sirius to no end.

After the game, James met the boys at the bleachers as promised. "Great job, James!" called Peter. James laughed and fist bumped Sirius and Peter. "What's wrong with Remus?" he asked. They all looked at Remus, who was in the same position, with his head drooped over his homework. Sirius shrugged. "He's been like that for awhile." James frowned, and stepped forward. He jostled Remus' shoulder. "What's up, Rem? You asleep?" Remus' head popped up. "Wha- oh. Sorry James, I must have drifted off. I'm so sorry." James chuckled. "It's all good. I get it. I know you don't like Quidditch as much as I do. C'mon, let's get back to the common room." The boys helped Remus up, and propped him up all the way back. James glanced at Sirius over Remus' head, and opened his mouth, like he was going to say something. He then closed it, and shook his head.


	14. Chapter 14

As soon as the door shut behind Remus, James sat up in his bed. Where the hell did he go? He looked around the room to see Sirius and Peter sitting up in bed too. "I'm sorry, but where does Remus go every month?" He asked the other boys. Sirius shook his head. "No idea, mate. I noticed too and pretended to fall asleep until he left." Peter nodded. "Same." James had had the same idea. The three boys sat in the dark, speculating until they drifted off to sleep, one by one.

The next day, per James' request, the three boys met in the common room during their defense against the dark arts class. They were very experienced in cutting class, something Remus was opposed to, so they had no problem getting away from him. They had visited the library previously, so each had a stack of books under their arm. They sat on the couch in the empty room and began flipping through the books.

About two hours later, Peter suggested something they hadn't thought of before. "Do you think he's a werewolf?" After some thought, the boys realized it was true. They ran back to the library, and with the help of James' invisibility cloak, got as many books on werewolves as they could find from the restricted section. After reading for about thirty minutes, James began to speak. "Wow… This is awful. It says here that werewolves tend to have a lot of pent up guilt and can be extremely violent and hurt themselves frequently. That sound like Remus. He's so quiet and we know about those scars on his chest." The boys nodded in agreement. "If Remus goes through this once a month," said Sirius, "then we need to do something."


	15. Chapter 15

Sirius didn't know how much longer he could last. Third year would start in three weeks, and he already felt close to death. He didn't want to run off to James like he had last summer. He needed to be stronger than that. So there he sat, cowered in his bedroom, shaking pressed up against the wall of his closet, crying into the darkness. His father had chased him around all morning because Sirius had forgotten to clear the table after breakfast. As Sisir pressed his eyes shut, he felt blood drip from his ear where his father had scratched him while he had fled. He heard him storming around downstairs. He knew Regulus was in his room studying quietly. Sirius' father would never hurt Regulus. Reg was a _Slytherin._ The floor shook as Sirius' father stormed upstairs. Sirius trembled, because he knew his father would find him. He always did. Obscenities rang in the air as the door to Sirius' room flew open. Sirius' heart stopped, and he held his breath, afraid to make any noise. "Siriusyousononofabitch! Whereareyou?" The closet door slammed open, and Sirius let out a sob. "You coward boy, first you hide, and now you are crying? Be a man!" Orion began to beat Sirius. Sirius heaved, unable to catch his breath. The last thought he had before he passed out was something James told him as they parted for the summer. "Sirius. Come to my house. If it gets bad again. Which it will."


	16. Chapter 16

Peter and James had gotten moved across the classroom from Sirius and Remus for talking too much, so when the door slammed, they separated to their respective sides of the room. A cad stalked in, an immediately transformed into McGonagall, just like every day. She began to lecture, and as the students began pulling out their books, the girl next to James tapped him on the shoulder. "Um, I think Sirius is trying to get your attention." James looked in Sirius' direction. He was waving like a maniac at James. James scowled and mouthed, "What?" Sirius was pointing wildly at McGonagall. Was he asking if James had his book out? James held up his book. Sirius shook his head, and made some hand motions that james' didn't understand. Then he stopped to write something down, James watched the note pass along a chain of students, and then reach him, the girl next to him looking annoyed about the disturbance. James unfolded the note. _We should become animagi._ James looked at Sirius for more explanation, but he was already writing another note. _To support Remus with his transitions._ And then, _We can go with him and help him to keep him from injuring himself._ Yes! They had been searching for ways to help Remus for weeks, but they hadn't thought of anything. This was it. James slid the notes to Peter, who read them, and then reread them, and then gave James a thumbs up. James passed the thumbs up onto Sirius. James looked at Remus, who hadn't noticed anything. He nodded at whatever McGonagall was talking about, and then wrote something in his notebook.


	17. Chapter 17

The winter ball was that night. They boys were third years, so they couldn't go until the next year. That didn't mean they wouldn't spy.

They tiptoed around the corner. They were hoping to prank some couples, but they had to be sneaky, because they were supposed to be in bed hours ago. James was leading the group, and he held out a hand to stop them. "There's someone out there!" In the hallways, a boy and a girl stood. The boy was tall and lanky, with red hair that fell flat over the top of his head. His glasses hung on the end of his nose, and his suit was scrappy and too big. He was holding a girl against his chest, and they swayed to the music playing out of the ballroom. The girl was shorter and rounder, wearing a dress that was frilly and lacy. Her hair was also red, curled around her freckled face. James turned back to his friends. "It's Arthur and Molly Weasley. Let's go back around and find someone else to prank. They are too lame." As the boys retreated around the hall, James apologized to them in his head. He didn't actually think they were lame, he just didn't want to tell his friends he thought Arthur and Molly were nicie and he didn't want to disturb them, they looked like they were having a moment. He glanced back at them, and they ran ahead to catch up with his friends.


	18. Chapter 18

After James' parents had left him on the platform, the first thing he did was go find Sirius. He ducked between families saying goodbye tearfully (he didn't need to do that anymore, because was a 4th year now). He spotted Sirius standing between pillars, by himself. He ran up to him. "Hey Sirius!" Sirius' face lit up, and as he turned toward James, James gasped. Sirius had a huge black eye, covering the entire side of his face. "How did you get that?" James asked. Sirius looked at his feet, "Um…" "Sirius," James insisted. "My mother got mad at me the other day, it's not a big deal." "It's a huge deal!" James shouted. "It's a huge fucking deal! This isn't okay Sirius." James spun around and punched the pillar in frustration. "James!" Sirius exclaimed. Three of James' fingers hung strangely. "I think they're broken," said James weakly.

"Peter, can I ask you something?" Peter sat up on the couch across from Sirius. The common room was empty except for some girls sitting by the window giggling. "Do you like any girls?" Peter shook his head. "Not right now, but I did last month. Do you, Sirius?" Sirius shrugged, "I kinda like Annie." He gestured to a dark haired girl sitting by the other girls. Peter said, "You should ask her out." "I was thinking about it." Sirius said, setting his book down. "Oh, right now?" said Peter, taken aback. "Yeah," said Sirius, crossing the room. The girls looked up as he approached. "Hey, Annie. Do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me the next weekend?" Annie looked at the other girls and they all giggled. Sirius shifted his weight from foot to foot. "Um, sure Sirius." said Annie, glancing at the girl on her right. "Awesome. See you then." Sirius crossed the room back to Peter, who looked shocked.

Two weeks later, after the trip to Hogsmeade (at which Sirius spent most of his time with his friends and not very much time with Annie), Annie approached Sirius during lunch in the Great Hall. "Hey, Sirius, can I talk to you?" "Sure," Sirius replied, although he didn't make any move to give them any privacy, as they were surrounded by Sirius' friends. "Oh, right here?" asked Annie. "Yeah," replied Sirius, while James glanced at him uneasily. "Okay, well, I don't really know if we're dating or what, but I think we should break up." Annie shuffled her feet and looked away. "Alright," said Sirius, turning back to his food. Annie looked taken aback. "Aren't you going to ask me why?" SIrius turned back around. "I guess so. Why?" Annie sighed and raked her hands through her hair. "I just don't understand you. Did you even like me? You went to Hogsmeade with me but only hung out with Remus. It was like you are dating hm! And it's been a week since and you haven't even talked to me." "Okay," said Sirius. Annie groaned in frustration, and stormed off. James let out a low whistle.


	19. Chapter 19

McGonagall looked up from her place at the head table. There was a commotion at the Gryffindor table, with students standing on benches and yelling over the usual roar. She stood up and rushed to the table. Pushing her way to the center, she saw Sirius Black and Severus Snape. They were yelling something, both fifth-years red-faced and fuming. "Black, follow me," she said, grabbing him by the robes. He followed McGonagall, mouthing yelling obscenities while Snape sneered at him. He got quiet when they entered the hall. "Am I in trouble?" he asked softly outside McGonagall's office. She didn't answer him, only held the door and motioned him inside. The usually charming boy was silent as he sat across from her. McGonagall held out the biscuit tray. Black took one, looking uneasy. She wanted to ask him what the argument had been about, but they would have time. His hair hung around his face in a curtain, and he avoided her eyes. McGonagall sighed, and said, "Did you hear about the Canons game?"

McGonagall waited at the owlery an hour early. She had to catch the owls before they arrived with the letters. She sat by the window, awaiting the first swarm. When they arrived, she rushed to Sirius' owl. It was his family's owl, so it was elegant and beautiful, it's white feathers glowing in the moonlight. In its beak, it held a scarlet red envelope. McGonagall removed it from the owl's beak and held it with both her hands. It was addressed to Sirius. She tucked it into her robes and rushed to her office. Upon arrival, she took out the letter. She opened a drawer in the bottom of her desk. It was filled to the brim with similar red letters. She added the howler to the pile.

McGonagall stepped into the library. She greeted the librarian, and walked to the back of the library to an abandoned stack of books she had spotted earlier. She had noticed Remus reading them that morning, alone in the back of the library. She saw him flip to the front of the book, where he discovered that the books automatically checked themselves out. When he saw his name in the front of the book, he frantically checked the others, to find his name in all of them. He hurriedly stashed them beneath the seat, in fear of having to hand them back to the librarian and her knowing what he had been researching. McGonagall retrieved the books. She chuckled when she saw the first one. She had a feeling. _A Wizard's Guide to Homosexuality._ The other four books were all similar. McGonagall charmed the books to erase Remus' name, and she placed them back on the shelf.


	20. Chapter 20

Sirius sat on the couch across from Lily. Her head was bent over her books, her hair forming a curtain. Sirius saw why James liked her. He would probably like her too, if he… "Hey, Sirius?" Lily looked up at Sirius. Her eyes were searching for something, looking all over Sirius' face. "Sirius… how is your family?" And this is what he didn't want. Lily was the only one who didn't know, who didn't really know. She was the only one who thought he was normal. Damn James. "Did James tell you?" Sirius asked. Lily shook her head. "I'm sorry Sirius. I can kind of tell. You are hurting." Why did Lily have to be so smart? Lily set her books on the floor and moved onto the couch that Sirius was on. She put a hand on his arm. "Sirius," she looked into his eyes again, which made his breath stop. "Sirius, tell me." So he told her.

An hour later, Lily was crying. As she hugged Sirius, sobbing into his shoulder, he realized something. He realized that Lily was his friend. And he realized what he needed to tell her. He needed to get it out, and he needed to tell someone how he felt. Lily was the only person he could tell, because he couldn't tell James or Peter. So he told her.

"Lily, I love Remus."


	21. Chapter 21

Lily walked up the staircase, taking the steps two at a time. As it swung around, making its way to the Gryffindor portrait hole, Lily noticed something. Near the top of the staircase, someone was leaning over the railing. Motionless. Lily continued to hurry along, and reached the figure. She leaned over and… just as she had suspected, it was Remus, he was bent over the railing, fast asleep. Lily wondered why all the boys were so sleepy. James had fallen asleep in Potions, and Peter and Sirius looked like they were ready to. "Hey, Rem," Lily said, shaking Remus. He jerked up, and rubbed his eyes. "Oh, hey Lily. What's up?" Lily laughed. "Why were you and the boys so tired today?" Remus bit his lip, looked at the ground, and shrugged. "Just out late, I guess." Remus opened his mouth like he was going to say something else, but then he closed it and shook his head. Lily put an arm around Remus' waist. "C'mon, Rem. Let's get back to the common room."


	22. Chapter 22

When James walked into class, a sinking feeling crept into his gut. Remus wasn't there, obviously. He had spent the night in the hospital wing, and James had forgotten to do what he usually did. He usually got Remus' homework from the night before and turned it in for him, but he had forgotten. As Sirius and peter, crossed the room to their seats, James racked his brain for an excuse for Remus. He settled into his seat, and dug through his bag for his homework, which he had done for once. He set it on his desk, and desperately tried to flatten it out. He leaned back in his seat, and checked that Remus' desk was empty. McGonagall entered the classroom. She walked to the front, and turned to the class. "Please pass up last night's notes," she commanded. James checked Remus' seat again. As the pile of papers reached him, he looked around frantically. When he was sure no one was looking, he crossed out his name and wrote _Remus Lupin._ He stuck it in the middle of the pile and passed it to the girl in front of him.


	23. Chapter 23

Sirius knows he has to go. He has to leave, get out of there, do anything to get away from his parents. So he runs to his bedroom and locks the door. _You can come to my house._ James' voice echoes in his head. He throws his school stuff and some clothes in a bag. There is a knock on his door, but it is timid and Sirius knows who it is. He yanks the door open. "What?" he snarls, and regulus takes a step back. "Stay here Sirius." Sirius shook his head. "Look at me Reg," he said, gesturing to his broken nose, "I can't stay here. Come with me." Regulus bit his lip. They weren't close anymore, not after Regulus had started at Hogwarts. Sirius knew it wasn't a possibility. He brushed past Regulus, storming through the hallways and down the stairs. Sirius paused in the entryway, his house silent. His mother wasn't home, and his father had locked himself in his study. "Sirius." Regulus was at the top of the stairs. "I love you." Sirius looked at his small, scrawny brother. "Love you too Reg." Sirius pulled open the front door and didn't look back.


	24. Chapter 24

When James' owl got to Lily's house, she was already up. She and Petunia had gotten in a fight, and Lily was hiding out in the bathroom. The owl tapped on the small window in the top of the bathroom. Lily had to stand on the toilet to get the window open. When she saw that the letter was about. She forgot about hiding from her sister and left the bathroom. She burst into her bedroom and threw some clothes in a bag. "What are you doing?" groaned Petunia, sitting up in bed. Lily ignored her and shut the door. She went to the fireplace and grabbed her emergency Floo Powder. Just before she left, she ran back into the kitchen. She dug through the cupboard and pulled out a bottle of firewhiskey. Then she Floo'd to James house.

Sirius had been a little surprised when Lily showed up at James house. He had gotten there an hour earlier, and had been sitting on James' couch silently. James was making them something to eat at the time, reassuring him, "My parents are away on a trip, but they won't care if you stay, I promise. I'll send them an owl in the morning." When the fireplace lit up, Sirius jumped back. Lily stood, covered in soot, holding a bottle of Firewhiskey. "Hey Sir," she said, "I heard you were here." James ran into the living room, wearing quidditch pajamas, dumbstruck that _Lily Evans_ was in his living room. They sat on the floor of the living room drinking the firewhiskey, all a little bit drunk. At about 4, the conversation took a turn. Lily began to talk about her sister, and how they fought all the time. Sirius began to talk halfheartedly about his parents. That was when James bursted, "Remus is a werewolf!" Lily began to laugh, which shocked Sirius. James immediately covered his mouth. "I know, James. I figured it out when you guys kept falling asleep the mornings after the full moon. I also figured out that you guys are all animagi." Sirius was taken aback, and so was James. They both stared at Lily, who shook her head. "You guys are so dumb."

When James woke up on the floor of his living room extremely hungover, he couldn't figure out why Lily Evans was asleep on his couch and Sirius Black was on the other couch. But then last night came rushing back. He stood up, stretched, and went into the kitchen to get breakfast started. James slowly realized this was the first time he had talked to Lily without her being annoyed with him or completely ignoring him. But when he went back into the living room, Sirius was staring at the wall blankly, and Lily was gone.


	25. Chapter 25

Euphemia looked at the photo she had just developed. It was of James and Sirius, who were outside playing quidditch. The photo was from two afternoons ago. Sirius was sitting with his back against the wall in James bed, reading the paper. He was wearing a t shirt with a muggle band on it. No one in the Potter household understood Sirius' love of rock and roll, but they tolerated it. James was on his back with his feet against the wall. He was wearing a quidditch jersey and the Snitch hovered just above his head. Every minute or so, he would snatch it out of the air, and then toss it up again. The room was a mess, with James' and Sirius' belongings strewn everywhere. Euphemia smiled at this, because most things the boys shared. She knew she wasn't going to let Sirius go back to Grimmauld Place. This was his home now.


	26. Chapter 26

Sirius woke up, kicking and sweating. His bed sheets had been thrown to the floor, and he was breathing heavily. He leaned over the side of the bed, heaving. " _Lumos,"_ someone said into the darkness. Sirius looked up. Remus stood in front of him, holding his wand out, with a worried look on his face. As with the five previous nights, Remus grabbed the bed sheets and remade the bed. Sirius stood up and crossed the room, passing the sleeping James and Peter. He went into the bathroom, found the sink, using his wand as a light, and splashed water onto his face. He went back through the bedroom. As he approached his bed, he noticed Remus still sitting on his bed. Usually Remus went straight back to his bed. "What are you doing Remus?" asked Sirius. Remus looked strange. He stood up, took one step towards Sirius, and kissed him.


	27. Chapter 27

I'm so sorry. Things have been hectic with school and finals (sorry, I hate making excuses), but I will try to get back on track with posting every day. Thank you for being patient.

When Lily looked at Sirius, she remembered the night before they went home in 5th year. He had somehow gotten into the girls' dormitory and woke her up, shaking her, crying. Marlene shot up in bed, shouting. "What the fuck Sirius? Why the hell are you in the girls' dormitory at midnight?" Lily immediately grabbed Sirius by the arm and dragged him out of the room. They stood in the common room, Sirius crying, shaking, holding his head in his hands. "It's just...It's just-Lily I go home tomorrow, and my parents will be there, and they can't...see me like this, you know? I mean, look at this!" He tugged at his long locks, hanging to his shoulders. Lily understood, as she usually did with the Marauders. They tiptoed out of the common room and through the castle, not stopping until they reached the abandoned girls' bathroom on the first floor. She sat a sniffling Sirius on a toilet, and pulled out her wand. They spent the next two hours cutting his hair, making it look like the clean haircut he was supposed to get each week. And after they were done, he had stopped crying, although he never stopped shivering.


	28. Chapter 28

As James tried to fall asleep, he couldn't help but feel annoyed. No matter how far under his pillow he dug his head, every few moments he would hear Lily's groan or Sirius' cackle. He finally gave up trying to sleep, wrapping a blanket around himself and storming out of the dormitory. He stomped down the stairs, ready to yell at the two of them to go to bed, when he caught sight of them. They were where they were when he left hen two hours ago, curled up by the fire, Lily bundled in a blanket, face glowing softly, and Sirius, sitting with his knees pulled to his chest, picking at a loose thread on his pants. Lily was holding a chess piece in her hand, glancing around, thinking about her next turn. Seeing her made James' stomach turn. He wished he could be Sirius, the fun friend, who would stay up late with Lily when she had nightmares. Instead, he had to go to bed early because he had a big exam in the morning. James hated himself for being the asshole. He crossed the common room and sat on the couch, pulling his blanket over himself. Sirius glanced up at him. "Mate, if you're here to tell us to go to bed, you might as well give up now." James shook his head. "I'll just watch." He looked at Lily, who's face lit up as she decided on a move. Sirius rolled his eyes. "You're useless at this, Evans." Lily laughed and glanced at James. James sighed and rested his head on his elbow. A few more minutes couldn't hurt. There would be more tests.


	29. Chapter 29

Sirius flew through the hallway, the shouts echoing in his ears. He whipped around corners, following Remus' sobs. Breathing heavily, he finally found Remus curled into a corner on the second floor corridor. He fell beside him, pulling Remus into his arms. "Rem. It's okay. Talk to me." Between sobs, Remus heaved, his chest rising and falling desperately. "I-I can't Sirius. You-You have no idea." Sirius held Remus' head in his hands. "Please Remus. Tell me." As usual, the boys had gone with Remus during his transition. This one had been awful. You could tell in the days leading up to it, when Remus would groan from the pain, and when he missed 3 classes. When he transformed, he was different than usual. Instead of running off like he normally did, he pounced on Sirius, who, being a dog, was capable of fighting him off. Then he went for Peter, who he injured horribly. Peter was now in the hospital wing. Sirius watched Remus' face. He could see something behind his eyes, something different than usual. "Sirius, please, don't make me. I did something horrible when I was younger, something you could never forgive. You could never love me if you knew what a monster I am." "Remus. Tell me." And so Remus told him. Remus told him about that night when he was young, how he transformed and ran rampant through the streets, and how people screamed and ran inside. Remus told him how he stumbled upon the boy, who was only 5 years old and was riding his bike on his front lawn. And Remus did the worst thing. He killed him. And Sirius held him while he cried, and didn't ask for more details. And he knew he still loved him.


	30. Chapter 30

Lily sat in the front of the classroom and watched the Marauders. They were seated in the back, all laughing and waving their wands haphazardly. The class was learning how to cast a Patronus, but the Marauders had known how to for years. They were loud and obnoxious, but the professor didn't mind because everyone knew they would cast a full Patronus with no trouble at all. The professor rounded up the class and students began casting their Patronus one at a time. Lily had managed to conjure up a few wisps of smoke, but she hadn't gotten a full one yet. Marlene stood up and said calmly, " _Expecto Patronum."_ A small goldfish slipped out of the tip of her wand, and flew around the classroom. Then it was Lily's turn. She _had_ to get it. She screwed up her face and and thought of the time when the boys had convinced Lily to skip potions and they had gone to Hogsmeade. " _Expecto Patronum!"_ she shouted. At first, her wand only produced white strands, but then, through the wisps, she saw it. A doe stepped around the classroom, and then disappeared. The professor applauded. "Well done, Miss Evans! Very well done!" But Lily didn't pay any attention to him. She noticed that for the first time that whole hour, the Marauders had gone quiet. She thought it was odd, but quickly forgot about it.

Ten minutes later. It was James' turn. He was the first of his friends to go, but when he was called on, he shook his head weakly. "Could I just...er...do it after class?" _Why would James want to go after class?_ Lily wondered. He had seemed so confident earlier. After the other marauders went, and class let out. James went to the front of the room and waited until everyone left. Lily left with Marlene, but waved her past. "I'll see you in the common room." Marlene rolled her eyes. "I swear to God, Lily. If you are staying to talk to James, I will not hesitate to jinx you." Lily just shook her head. After Marlene left, Lily went back to the classroom. She stood behind the slightly open door. The classroom was empty except for the professor and James. James turned toward the middle of the room and without hesitation, bellowed, " _Expecto Patronum!"_ From his wand, a stag galloped around the room. Lily gasped. It was a pair with hers! And the reason James didn't want to do it during class was because he didn't want to embarrass her. She ducked behind a pillar as James left the classroom. She watched him leave, amazed.


	31. Chapter 31

The advanced potions class was making Amortentia. Lily and James had been partnered up, much to Lily's distaste. She was already annoyed with James because he had copied her homework from the night before, and now he was screwing up the potion. It looked right, but they had definitely done something wrong, because it smelled horrible. James agreed with her. "Damn Lily, all it smells like is your shampoo. You fucked it up somehow." Lily rolled her eyes. She knew that was untrue because she had followed all the instructions, _and_ she had been using Marlene's perfume for weeks. All she could smell was James' conditioner, which was so strong it made her eyes water. Eventually they gave up. The potions professor began calling on students, asking what it smelled like. First he called on Marlene, who said, "I don't really know, I guess it smells like deodorant and...maybe chocolate? I don't know." Then he called on Remus, who immediately turned red. "Um," he glanced around, looking for a way out of answering. Finally he answered weakly, "Wet dog?" Peter immediately burst out laughing, falling off his seat. Sirius looked up from the back of the room and began making howling noises. Lily looked at Sirius, her eyes wide. They both burst out laughing.


	32. Chapter 32

Lily stared at James. As he ate, and as food fell out of his mouth, he discussed quidditch with Sirius. "I'm telling you, Padfoot, the Cannons would be better if they hadn't traded their chaser." Lily watched as his eyes lit up and his hands waved around. And it was that moment that she decided she loved him. It was very simple, and he didn't do much, but as she watched him, she realized she loved his messy hair and crooked teeth. She jumped up from the table, and James dropped his hands. "Lily? Where are you going?" She opened her mouth to answer, but she didn't really know where she was going. She closed her mouth and shook her head. Lily spun around and sprinted into the corridor and into the library, where she found Marlene eating with some other girls from their dormitory. "Marlene, can I talk to you for a second? Please?" Marlene rolled her eyes at Lily, and glanced at the other girls, who shook their heads. Marlene stood up and followed Lily to the end of the shelves. Lily bent towards her. "Marlene, there's something I need to tell you." Marlene immediately cut her off. "No Lily, there's something _I_ need to tell _you._ You spend all your time with those idiot boys and then come to me when you have relationship problems with that _James!_ You never care what is going on with me and you only want to be my friend when you need me. I can't do this anymore, Lily." And Marlene turned around and stormed back to the table, where her friends stared back at Lily.

James was inches from the Snitch. He was leaned forward on his broom, and this only made the Gryffindor students cheer louder. Remus, Sirius, and Peter, waved their scarves and cheered. But Lily stood on the bench waving her arms, screaming, "Go James! Get the Snitch!" And when James' wrapped his fingers around it, she screamed louder and jumped up and down. Sirius grinned. "Goddamn Lily, we get it. Chill out." Lily turned red and froze. James flew to where the Marauders were and hopped off his broom. Sirius watched him hug Lily, but let go too quickly. He chuckled to himself.

The Marauders and Lily walked towards Hogsmeade, bundled in coats and scarves. It was just like any other Hogsmeade trip, but this time there was a plan. So when they reached the entrance to Hogsmeade, Peter said loudly, "Oh! I forgot my wand in the common room. Remus, Sirius, come with me to get it." So the three boys ran away, before anyone had a chance to protest. And James glanced at Lily, shrugged, and they kept walking towards Hogsmeade.

Two weeks later Gryffindor won the house cup. All three of the Marauders were hammered, and even Lily was slightly tipsy, which was entirely new for her. Lily stood by the fireplace talking to Marlene for the first time in months. They were talking about herbology when James jumped over the couch and stepped in between them. "Lily, c-can I talk to you for a mmoment?" He slurred. Lily shook her head, not wanting James to get caught in the middle of Her and Marlene's friendship. But Marlene shook her head. "Go Lily. We can talk tonight." Lily nodded, and followed James across the common room. Halfway through, he reached back and took her hand. This made her stomach flip, but she held on anyways. They stopped by a wall where it was less loud. James leaned against the wall, but almost fell over so he held onto a chair. "Hey, Lil, there's just s-something I need to tell you. I have been meaning to-" "James! I just kissed Cindy! Like a full on makeout!" Shouted Peter, ramming into the wall beside James. "Really?" Shouted James. Lily sighed as the boys began to talk about the details. Lily looked across the room to Marlene, who was smirking at her. But it was okay.


	33. Chapter 33

Sirius glanced up at Remus. They had been talking for the first time in the weeks since their break up. Remus was sitting on the couch above where Sirius was spread out on the floor, but now Remus was nodding off. Sirius sighed and stood up. He took the books off Remus' lap and set them off the coffee table. He trudged upstairs and pulled the blankets off both of their beds. In the dormitory, James rolled over and groaned, "Sirius? Why are you still up?" Sirius didn't answer. He tiptoed out and then went back to Remus. He draped the blankets over both of them. He was going to go back upstairs, but before he did so, he quickly leaned over Remus and kissed him on the head. He ran upstairs.

Remus' eyes fluttered open. He watched Sirius run upstairs and blushed.


	34. Chapter 34

Lily sat in the chair in her front entry hall. She stood up, and then sat down again. Her mother walked in. "Settle down, Lily. It will be alright." Sirius was coming to stay with Lily for a few weeks before seventh year began. He was taking a bus from James' house, for the sake of 'being like a muggle,' as he said. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Lily leapt up, and yanked the door open. Her face lit up when she saw Sirius, and they threw themselves at each other, tightly embracing. "Sirius, this is my mom." They shook hands. "It's nice to finally meet you, Sirius." "Sir, why don't you take your stuff up to my room?" Lily asked. He nodded, grinning. He jumped up the stairs. When he was almost at the top of the stairs, Lily's mother leaned toward her. "That wasn't...that boy, was it? The Potter boy?" Lily didn't have to answer. Sirius burst out laughing. "Oh, God no!" He shouted. Lily's face flushed. "Mom! Please stop embarrassing me."


	35. Chapter 35

Lily leaned back in her seat. She glanced at James, who was belting along the lyrics to some rock song. His eyes were focused on the road, and his hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. They were taking a road trip the weekend before 7th year. James was the only one who knew how to drive, with the exception of Sirius, who was a crappy driver. Peter and Remus sat in the middle row. Remus was reading a book, and Peter was sipping a Coke, staring out the window. In the back row, Sirius was asleep. Lily looked back at James. He glanced at her and grinned.

James opened the van door. Sirius was already out, running in the Lupin's beach house. Remus called after him, "Sirius. Get your bags." Sirius jogged back, rolling his eyes. The boys pulled out their suitcases and dragged them toward the house. Remus reached the door first, pulling it open, and standing in the doorway. "So, there's one room with a king bed, and a room with bunk beds. So this could be weird…" The boys glanced at Lily. James grabbed Lily's hand, holding it up. "Lily and I will take the master bedroom!" Lily yanked her hand away. "Hell no. I will take the master bedroom by myself." "Fuck no!" shouted Sirius. "Well," said Lily, "It makes sense. You guys have shared a room for six years. And I'm a girl. I need my privacy." The boys couldn't come up with a good excuse, so they shrugged. They brought their bags inside. As the boys groaned and tossed their bags onto their bunk beds, Lily folded her clothes and placed them inside the dresser.

Peter sat at the kitchen table next to Remus, who was reading a book. Sirius and James were still getting dressed in the boys' room. Peter heard something hit the wall, and then James' loud laugh. Lily walked down the hall and sat next to Peter, wearing a simple sundress. She leaned back in her chair and shouted, "Hurry up Sir! Tell James to put on his panties and get the fuck out here!" Peter's faye burned. Sometimes Lily could be so vulgar. James and Sirius trotted down the hall, barefoot, wearing nothing but swim trunks. James grinned broadly. Lily looked down at the table, her face red.

They say on the beach. Peter pulled his towel around his shoulders. James sat next to him, eating chips loudly. Remus and Sirius were splashing in the waves. Lily stood up, stretching. "I think I'm gonna go join Sir and Remus. Want to join, James?" James shook his head, holding up his chips. "Maybe in a little bit. I'll hang with Pete for now." Peter smiled at James, glad he didn't leave him alone. Lily shrugged and walked off. Peter looked at James, who was watching Lily's retreating body with his mouth open. Peter laughed out loud.

It was the last night of their trip. Lily sat in her room, alone, reading a book. She couldn't fall asleep until the house was quiet, and James was still in the shower next to her room. The shower finally switched off, and the house was finally silent. Lily set down her book and turned off the light, sad to go home tomorrow. She tossed and turned, unable to settle. She climbed out of bed and slid on slippers, shuffling out to the kitchen for a glass of water. She leaned against the fridge as the glass filled up, the metal cool against her face. She took a few sips of water, and then started down the hall toward her bedroom. She turned off the kitchen light, the darkness consuming her. She heard someone shuffling at the end of the hall. She froze, breathing softly. "It's just me." It was James, wearing pajama pants. He stepped towards her, lips pressed together. Her breath got shallow. His face was inches from hers. Just then, the boys bedroom door swung open. It was Remus, whose face turned red as soon as he saw them. "Oh my God, I'm sorry." James shrugged. "It's fine. Nothing happened. I was just heading back to bed." James slipped through the door behind Remus. Remus grimaced at Lily, stepping past her. She sighed.


	36. Chapter 36

Sirius rolled the quaffle between his hands, staring at the tapestry above his bed. James was talking, but James had been talking for the last five minutes, so it was easy to tune him out. That is, it was easy to tune him out. "What do you think, Sir?" Sirius froze, not sure what to say. He figured that he would answer the same way he had answered the last three times James had asked him what he thought. "I really don't know, James. I don't understand girls at all." James groaned. "Well, lucky you you don't have to." Sirius tossed him the quaffle. "Maybe I should try being gay," James muttered. Sirius laughed out loud. "Fuck no, James. No gay man would ever date you." James sat up in bed. "Excuse me, but I personally think a gay man would be honored to date me." Sirius rolled his eyes, but James didn't notice. James tossed the quaffle back to him. James continued. "So when Lily walked up to me and said, 'Hey James,' what do you think she meant then?"


	37. Chapter 37

James rolled over in bed. He couldn't sleep, he couldn't stop thinking about _her._ He gave up, He climbed out of bed and crossed the dormitory, careful not to make a sound. He walked through the common room and out into the stairway, the fat lady fast asleep in the painting. James made his way to the place he had spent most of his time the last few nights. The Mirror of Erised had been in an abandoned classroom for the last week, and James had enjoyed spending the night sitting in front of it. He stepped into the classroom to see the mirror in its usual place, but someone was standing in front of it. He tiptoed up to the person, who jumped. "James!" cried Lily. "You scared me." He laughed nervously. "I see you discovered the Mirror of Erised, huh?" "What is it?" Lily stayed in the mirror intently. "Oh, it shows your deepest desires." James had read up about the mirror the first time he saw it. "What do you see?" Lily asked. James lied. "I see myself holding the house cup." "Oh," Lily muttered, clearly distracted. "I see myself...uh… becoming a ministry worker right out of Hogwarts…" Her answer sounded half-hearted. "I'll see you tomorrow?" James nodded, and Lily left. James sat down in front of the mirror, seeing the same image he had seen every night. He looked older, although not that much. He had his arms around an older Lily, and they both held a hand of a little boy with green eyes and glasses.

They both saw the same thing.


	38. Chapter 38

James' legs draped across Lily's lap. He suspected she had been asleep for the last hour or so, but he was waiting to deal with her until he had finished his work. He had been thinking about how to handle the situation, and wasn't sure, because he couldn't just leave Lily asleep on the couch, but he also didn't want to wake her up. He finished his work and tucked his books into his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. He decided to carry Lily up into her dormitory. He lifted her like a baby effortlessly, and made his way to the girls' staircase. He took one step up the staircase and quickly realized his mistake. The stairs transformed into a slide, and luckily James was close enough to the bottom to step backwards without falling. He hadn't expected this. He thought for a moment, and then knew what to do. He headed up the boys' staircase, still holding Lily. When he got into his dormitory, he set her on his bed, tucking the blankets around her. Once she was settled in, and James was confident she was still asleep, he scribbled a note for her to find in the morning explaining his predicament. He then headed back down to the common room, laying down on the couch and pulling a blanket over himself.

James woke up early the next morning, early enough to change and be ready for breakfast without the other students coming downstairs to find that he had spent the night on the couch. He didn't wait for his friends, instead heading to the Great Hall alone. He sat where the boys normally sat, and people began filling the hall. "James!" Sirius' voice rang through the hall. James turned around to see Sirius, Peter, and Remus running towards him. Sirius clapped his hands onto James' shoulders. "Did you do it?" He asked. James, having completely forgotten about the previous night's events, stared at him, clueless. "With Lily? Did you seal the deal?" Sirius gestured with his fingers. "Oh, no," James said, "She fell asleep last night and I couldn't get into the girls' dormitory so I let her sleep in my bed. I slept on the couch." Sirius' face fell. "C'mon, man," he said, rolling his eyes at Peter, who followed suit. "Did you wake her up?" James asked, suddenly worried. "No, we didn't," said Remus. The boys sat down and their talk turned to more pressing matters, like quidditch and pranks. It was about 5 minutes later when James heard his name called for the second time that morning. "James Potter!" It was Lily, wearing her robes from the previous night, storming between the tables, looking furious. The hall fell silent as everyone turned to watch Lily. She approached the boys, grabbing James by the collar and pulling him up. He stared back at her wild, reckless, _beautiful_ face, knowing she was angry about the previous night's sleeping arrangements, and knowing that he would have to pay the price. "James Potter," she said again, a little bit softer.

And then she kissed him


	39. Chapter 39

Sirius spun around in his seat to talk to Remus, the only two Marauders who had advanced charms. "And like, imagine that kid. James' hair, but Lily's freckles and eyes. And really sassy but so good at quidditch! It would be amazing." Remus rolled his eyes. "Sirius. Finish the reading and then we can talk about James and Lily." Sirius disregarded this. "And their wedding. That will be a crazy wedding. We can pull pranks the whole ceremony!" Remus signed again. "We will not pull any pranks during the ceremony. We will be a respectful audience. Plus, they might not even stay together that long." Sirius laughed out loud, and Remus grinned. "Good one, Rem. That will be one crazy relationship. Imagine the sex." Remus stood up. "Marlene, do you want to be partners?" Sirius laughed.


	40. Chapter 40

It was their final night at Hogwarts. The party was over. The Gryffindor common room was strewn with cups and confetti, and people were lounged across pieces of furniture, mostly asleep.. Sirius leaned against a chair and smiled at James, who was lounging on a couch with Lily's head in his lap. He lifted her head up and set it back down without disturbing her sleep, climbing over bodies to the couch Remus and Peter were asleep on. James flopped down next to Peter, pulling out a cigarette, and offering one to Sirius. Sirius shook his head, and James lit his. Peter's eyes fluttered open, saw James, and closed them again. Sirius sat next to Remus, throwing his arm around the boy's shoulders. Remus looked at James, groaned (he hated James' smoking habit), and then let his head fall back. James took another puff, happy.


	41. Chapter 41

Part 2

Lily was anxious. She laid in the bed she typically shared with James, but she had had the apartment to herself the last week. He was supposed to be home from his mission that afternoon, and Lily had waited until midnight, but when there was no word from him, she headed to bed. Peter, Remus, and SIrius had all offered to come over, but Lily assured them she would be fine, although she wasn't so sure herself. She suddenly heard a noise. She sat up in bed, alert. The Order's owl sat on the windowsill, a letter in his beak. Lily dove across the bed and snached the letter. The owl left. The letter was written in Sirius' weirdly vertical handwriting.

 _Hey Lil,_

 _James is here. He's kind of in tough shape. Come get him._

 _Sir_

 _P.S. We're at Headquarters_

Relief flooded through Lily's body. James was okay! Well, for the most part.

When Lily arrived at the headquarters, it looked untouched from the outside. But as soon as she entered, it was clear something was going on. People rushed around her, calling to each other. No one noticed Lily until Remus rushed past. "Oh, Lily. Lily's here!" The members of The Order turned, and upon seeing Lily, began to call, "Lily's here!" The small crowd parted. Lily saw James in the center, leaning against Sirius. His face brightened, "Lily!" She rushed to him and hugged him tightly, regardless of the blood covering his shirt, letting go quickly when she heard him grimace. James was laughing, but Sirius gritted his teeth behind James' head. "Lil, I would get him home as quickly as possible." Lily obeyed.

Lily and James arrived home. Immediately Lily took him upstairs. She sat him on the edge of the bed while he babbled about something. She lifted his shirt over his head. He let her take it off. She knelt down and began bandaging the deep wound on his side. "Lily, are you trying to get me naked?" He said in a goofy voice. Lily rolled her eyes.

And then she realized where she was. She was in her apartment that she shared with her beautiful boyfriend, _who was alive_ , who was so alive, even when people were dying left and right in the war. She sat next to him on the bed, putting her arms around his bare chest. She put her head on his shoulder. "I love you, James." She turned to face him on the bed. He faced her too. She leaned in to kiss him, but he stopped her. "Lily." SHe looked at him. "Let's get married."


End file.
